Court declares Eldoret woman biological daughter of ex-MP Mark Too

Chepkoech Too

The High Court has ruled that an Eldoret woman, Chepkoech Too, is a biological daughter of the late powerful nominated MP, Mark Too.

The verdict means Chepkoech will now enjoy rights to benefit from the politician’s estate valued at over Sh7 billion.

Justice Robert Wananda delivered the ruling following a DNA test conducted to ascertain her paternity.

The judgment resolves a decade-long dispute after one of the late MP’s widows, Sophie Too, disowned Chepkoech following her husband’s death in 2016.

Chepkoech filed the application for a DNA test after being excluded from the distribution of Too’s estate, which spans several counties and includes land, prime commercial plots, and movable assets.

She argued that Sophie had refused to recognise her as a beneficiary.

“The only way to resolve the issue of my paternity is to order a DNA test to enable me to get a share of my father’s estate,” Chepkoech stated in court.

During the succession proceedings, Sophie had acknowledged only two children born out of wedlock by her husband—Ali and Bakari—claiming Chepkoech was a stranger and not known to the family.

Justice Wananda, however, ruled; “A declaration is hereby made that Chepkoech Too is a biological daughter of the deceased based on the DNA results obtained from samples taken from her body tested against that of Arafat Mohammed Bakari, a known child of the deceased.”

The DNA tests, conducted at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, confirmed that Chepkoech and Bakari, though from different mothers, are half-siblings, sharing the same father.

Chepkoech is one of four children fathered out of wedlock by the Kanu-era politician.

Too died at 60 on December 31, 2016, at an Eldoret hospital, leaving behind two widows, Sophie and Mary Too, and seven children between them.

He was laid to rest at Sophie’s home at Sirikwa Farm, bordering Eldoret International Airport in Kapseret.

Records show that Mary, the first wife, has five children: Elizabeth Chepkoech Too, Moses Kiprotich Too, Jennifer Jebet Too, and Daniel Kipchirchir Too.

Sophie has three children: Sandra Jerop Too, Kevin Kipkemei Too, and Sharon Jepchumba Too.

The children sired out of wedlock include Chepkoech Too, Ali Kiptarbei Mark Too, Arafat Mohammed Bakari Too, and Sammy Waki (deceased).

The two widows are administrators of the estate, which comprises 19 farms across Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Nandi, and Trans Nzoia counties.

The deceased also owned 10 trailers, 10 tractors, 11 vehicles, and shares in six blue-chip companies.